To Wish Upon a Star
by V. Shalyr
Summary: After failing yet again to find Pandora, Kaito makes a wish to know what life might have been like if his father had never been killed looking for the damned thing. Sometimes, wishes do come true after all. KaiShin
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

**Summary:** After failing yet again to find Pandora, Kaito makes a wish to know what life might have been like if his father had never been killed looking for the damned thing. (Sometimes, wishes do come true after all). They say that every time an event occurs that could change the course of the future, another world is created.

**Pairings:** Kaito x Shinichi (already established)

**Warnings:** In case you were not aware, the pairing listed above is a boy/boy pairing, you have been warned

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**To Wish Upon a Star**

**By V. Shalyr**

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Chapter 1

Another full moon, another heist, but not quite the same Kaitou KID.

Shinichi frowned as he made his way from the museum, finally free of Inspector Nakamouri and the usual post-heist briefing of the members—both permanent and temporary—of the Kaitou KID Taskforce. The magician thief just hadn't been the same lately. He still wore that cocky, shark's smile of his, still taunted the police and played the gentlemen for his adoring fans, but Shinichi knew him too well by now to be fooled.

The fact was that KID was feeling depressed. And really, if you knew him, you didn't have to be a detective to understand why. It had been a good few years since the Black Organization had fallen, but the search for Pandora was still going on with no end in sight. That in itself wasn't really that surprising. But the idea that all of it—all the bloodshed and the murders and the suffering—might have happened for the sake of something that didn't even exist…

The focus of his worry was already home by the time Shinichi got back to the house. Kaito never snuck in to listen to the briefings after his own heists anymore either. It was like he just wasn't having as much fun as he used to, like his thoughts or doubts or whatever you wanted to call them were weighing him down.

He found the thief sitting on the windowsill in their bedroom, the Wishing Star—that night's heist target—glittering in his white-gloved hand.

"It's not it," Shinichi said rather unnecessarily. Despite the moonlight, the jewel showed no signs of anything unusual, no trace of crimson light within its polished depths.

"No." Without turning his head, Kaito tossed the stone in Shinichi's direction and the detective caught it easily. "You can turn it in to the police tomorrow. I don't have any more use for it."

Shinichi nodded, sitting down on the bed and setting the large diamond upon the nightstand. "You should change out of that. What if one of the neighbors sees you?"

Kaito said nothing, just tugged the brim of his white top hat down so that its shadow completely hid his face for a moment. Then he slid from the window, there was a puff of smoke and he was dressed in casual, everyday clothes with his KID gear nowhere to be seen. He turned off the lights with a snap of his fingers like he always did and joined Shinichi on the bed, wrapping his arms around the detective in the dark.

Shinichi relaxed against him and sighed. "You know you can't change the past. I should know. I wish you'd just let go and move on."

For a long time, the magician didn't reply. Then finally, his voice quiet and wistful, he said, "Sometimes, I just wish it had never happened, you know? I mean, I have to wonder what it would have been like if Tou-san was still around."

If that accident that had been no accident had never happened, or if Kuroba Toichi had somehow managed to survive—to get away like the master escape artist he was.

Of course Shinichi knew. It was human nature to wonder.

Carefully, he turned his head to press a chaste kiss to the magician's lips, glad that the darkness hid the redness in his cheeks. "Let's get some sleep, okay? It's been a long night."

Kaito was sufficiently surprised by his actions to snap out of his dark contemplations and back to something more like his usual self. He chuckled. "You call that a kiss? _This_ is a _proper_ kiss."

And he leaned forward to give his detective just that before the both of them let the weariness of the day take them over.

On the nightstand, the Wishing Star diamond gleamed a sudden silver.

.

The moment Shinichi woke up the next morning he just knew that something was off. For one, he was alone. Kaito was usually an early riser, but he did like to sleep in after heists, especially on days when neither of them had to work or go to class. Even if he had gotten up, he wouldn't have gone out without leaving Shinichi a note—a note which was _not_ on the bedside table despite the empty silence of the manor. Come to think of it, something else that should have been on the table wasn't there either—namely, the Wishing Star diamond.

Frowning, Shinichi sat up, his eyes traveling slowly around the room and taking in every little detail. This _was_ his room all right, but at the same time, it wasn't. There were all these little things that were missing—like the roses in their glass vase upon the desk and the Lupin books that had joined his Holmes novels on the bookshelf after Kaito had moved in. Actually, it looked a lot like how he might have expected his room to look if he and Kaito had never met.

Hold on a second, if he and Kaito…

Frowning, Shinichi snatched up his cell phone and called Kaito's number. On the second ring, someone picked up and Shinichi was relieved to hear Kaito's familiar voice.

"Shinichi?"

"Where are you?"

Kaito sounded just as relieved to be hearing from him. "I was just wondering the same thing. I think I'm in my old room back at Kaa-san's house. So this isn't just some elaborate joke and I'm not going crazy?"

"Not unless we both are."

"Wait, I think I hear someone moving about in the kitchen downstairs. I guess she's up. Maybe she can explain…explain…"

Kaito trailed off into stunned silence.

"Kaito?" Shinichi asked, worried. "Kaito, what's going on?"

But the only thing he heard was the magician's cell phone clattering to the floor.

Standing in the doorway to the kitchen, Kaito gaped at the man currently standing by the stove. He knew who it was. Of course he knew. How could he _not_ know? But this—this was impossible.

"T—Tou-san?"

The man turned and smiled at him. "Good morning, Kaito. You're up later than I expected. I thought you wanted an early start on rehearsals."

Kaito stared, blinked, then stared some more. Finally, he crouched without taking his eyes off the man and picked up his phone again.

"Shinichi?"

"Kaito! What's going on, are you all right? What happened?"

"You know, Shin-chan," Kaito said cheerfully, "I've officially gone insane. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later, though I was rather hoping for later rather than sooner. I'm starting to hallucinate because there's no way this is happening. I saw him die, and all the reports agree. I would have known if it was just a trick. Or maybe this is someone's idea of a prank, in which case whoever it is had better be ready for one _hell_ of a terrible time when I find out their names and where they live and work and—"

As he talked, his insanely cheerful tone began to take on a hint of desperation. The man in the kitchen who looked just like Kuroba Toichi but couldn't be because his father had died more than a decade ago was giving him the most concerned look—one he was pretty sure would be mirrored on Shinichi's face if he could see him. Only he couldn't because he was going mad and had woken up in a house that looked a lot like his old house but couldn't be because he didn't live there anymore and most of this stuff was supposed to be at the Kudou manor.

"Kaito?" Not-Toichi asked worriedly, stepping up to Kaito and resting a hand on his shoulder. His frown deepened when Kaito flinched.

On the other end of the phone, Shinichi had grabbed his wallet and keys and was running down the street towards the train station, his phone still pressed to his ear though Kaito's babbling had long since stopped making sense. "Kaito, calm down—I can't understand a word you're saying. I'm on my way over right now, okay?"

It was just so out of character for Kaito to be honestly freaking out to such an extent that he was starting to make Shinichi feel panicked. And then—then it wasn't Kaito on the other end of the phone anymore.

"Hello?"

Shinichi didn't know that voice, but it had to be the person that had sent the magician on his current tirade. He responded after a moment's hesitation with a cautious, "Who is this?"

The man on the other end of the phone coughed. "I was going to ask you the same thing actually. My name's Kuroba Toichi. I wasn't aware my son knew anyone called Shinichi."

The detective almost tripped over his own feet. Kuroba Toichi? But wasn't that—that—that was impossible. Resisting the urge to ask the man if he was sure, he cleared his throat and asked instead, "The famous magician, right?"

"The magician, certainly," the man replied, bemused. "I was wondering if you could tell me what's wrong with my son. He's…not acting like himself."

Shinichi stepped onto the train in a daze. It felt oddly surreal for the two of them to be talking so calmly when they were both obviously far from it and probably in moods more akin to the hysterics still going on in the background. "It's funny you should ask that. I was just trying to figure that out myself, though I think I've got a pretty good idea now."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, just give me one moment to confirm it. Then I'm sure everything will make a lot more…sense."

Toichi raised an eyebrow and glanced back at Kaito who was standing frozen still in the kitchen doorway, staring blankly ahead of him. He'd been told countless times by his wife and others that he was more than a bit eccentric and maybe just a little mad, and that his son was growing up to be just like him, but he doubted that this was what they meant. Pulling the phone away from his ear, he asked again, "Kaito?" But again, the younger man didn't respond.

Abruptly, the doorbell rang and Toichi reluctantly left his son to go answer it. He opened the door and paused, blinking in surprise at the person who now stood on his doorstep.

"Kudou Shinichi?"

What was the young detective doing at his house? He was pretty sure Kudou only handled homicide cases and had no interest in thieves.

His questions ground to a halt in his head, however, when the detective nodded politely to him and said "excuse me" before hurrying past him into his house and up to Kaito. Wait, _Shinichi_. Of course, this was the voice on the other end of the phone. But how did his son know Kudou Shinichi? As far as Toichi was aware, the two of them had never met, even back when the boy's mother Yukiko was still his student.

"Kaito? Kaito!" The Kudou boy stood anxiously in front of his son, giving him a gentle shake by the shoulders. "Snap out of it, you're starting to scare me."

_And me_, Toichi thought ruefully. And to be sure, that wasn't an easy thing to do.

Perhaps at the unusual stress in his partner's voice, Kaito finally shook off his shocked daze and turned a suspicious glare upon the man who simply could _not_ be his father. "Who are you and what are you doing in this house?"

Toichi blinked again, this time in a different kind of confusion. This morning was just turning out to be way too…peculiar, and this coming from a magician! "Kaito, are you sick? I'm your father, remember? I live here."

"You can't be my father. He was killed years ago."

Toichi's second eyebrow rose to join the first. "I assure you that I'm very much alive. And if we keep this up, we're going to wake your mother."

Kaito scowled. He wanted to believe the man, but he just couldn't let himself. Not without proof.

"How about this," Shinichi said, stepping between the two and eyeing Toichi with more than a hint of his own wariness. "We'll tell you what we think has happened in the past ten years or so, and then you tell us your side of the story. I'm sure we can find some…reasonable explanation for all this."

"A logical proposal," Toichi agreed, his curiosity growing by the second.

"Just one question first," Shinichi continued, taking a deep breath. "Are you Kaitou KID?"

"What? What are you talking about?" No obvious change occurred in Toichi's expression, even as his masks slammed down into place.

If Shinichi hadn't known Kaito so well, he probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. Both Kurobas had earned reputations for their impeccable Poker Faces. But he _did_ know Kaito and all the little things that were more a feeling than any actual signs were the same. Like father like son, he supposed, but if that were the case… Then somehow, this had to be the real Kuroba Toichi.

The Wishing Star diamond, why had it been called that again? He seemed to recall Kaito mentioning something about the gem having a history of being with its owners at moments in their lives where their fortunes changed for better or for worse—moments when their dreams came true. Kaito only ever went after gemstones with stories of magic behind them. And Kaito had said that he wished his father had never been murdered.

His brain reeled at the only possible conclusion. But that just couldn't be. Magic didn't really exist, not _that_ kind of magic. Yet there was all the evidence right in front of him, most definitely alive and well.

"Shinichi?" It was Kaito's turn to be worried as the detective's face paled. Taking his hand, he steered him hurriedly to a chair at the kitchen table, all the while watching Toichi out of the corner of his eye. "Shin-chan, are you okay?"

Shinichi shook his head slowly. "Kaito, I think—I think the Wishing Star sent us to another world."

"Huh?" Was Shinichi coming down with something? That didn't sound like a solution he'd ever come up with.

"When you made that wish," Shinichi clarified, "a world where _it_ didn't happen."

A world where his father had never died.

Kaito sank into the chair next to his detective and stared at Toichi. If what Shinichi said was true, and what Shinichi said usually was, then that would mean…

Toichi was, by now, beyond bewildered. But most of his anxiety and nervousness turned to concern when his son's eyes suddenly began to water.

Catching the expression on his father's face, Kaito blinked rapidly and forced himself to pick up the pieces of his broken mask. They all had a hell of a lot of explaining to do, especially if he was going to pass for this world's Kaito before his mother woke up and decided to join them downstairs. Good thing it was Saturday. His mother always slept in late on Saturdays.

Over the next hour, Toichi heard the most incredible story he had ever been told, beginning with his own death upon stage at the hands of a huge criminal organization. And the return of Kaitou KID eight years later with his son's discovery of his father's past. Working from both sides of the law along with detectives, police, and FBI agents to take down that same organization, the continued search for Pandora and its bloody promise, and finally the night of the Wishing Star heist. It was all a lot to wrap his mind around, but then Toichi had always believed deep down that there was real magic out there somewhere.

There was, however, one thing he still didn't quite understand, and Kudou seemed to be skirting around the point all throughout his narrative.

"So you're still a detective in your world, right?" At his nod, Toichi indicated Kaito with a tilt of his head, "And you know my son is KID but you haven't arrested him and, in fact, live in the same house?"

Getting the gist of his questions, Kaito suddenly grinned—his first actual grin since that morning, fiercely amused and maybe just a bit evil, "if we're here in this world, do you think the Shinichi and Kaito from this world are in ours?"

.

_Back in their world… _

"Ah! Who are you and WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY BED?"

"I DON'T KNOW! I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU THE SAME THING!"

"BUT THIS IS _MY_ HOUSE!"

"I'VE NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE IN MY LIFE! Though now that I think about it, you do look kind of familiar. Have I seen you in the papers before?"

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TBC…

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**AN:** This is going to be a pretty short story. I'm currently working on two different stories based on the idea of worlds where Toichi wasn't killed and the longer one is a lot darker (and longer), but I couldn't resist doing something more lighthearted at the same time. So this is it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

**Pairings:** Kaito x Shinichi (already established)

**WARNINGS: slash (boy/boy relationship), you have been warned **

**AN:** Thank you for reviewing. On with the story!

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**To Wish Upon a Star**

**By V. Shalyr**

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Chapter 2

Kuroba Toichi was a magician and, many would consider, one of the best. Between his performances worldwide and his secret night job as the internationally wanted jewel thief KID, he had seen, done, and made others see some pretty strange things in his lifetime. However, watching his son—and a son who both knew and shared in KID's legacy no less—reach across to drag a detective—one of the most famous young detectives in Japan—into a short but passionate kiss was…a first. And probably not something he would have conceived of even in his wildest imagination.

Shinichi pulled away, dropping his face to the nice, cool tabletop in order to hide his furious blush. He couldn't _believe_ Kaito had just done that in front of his _father_. Well actually, he could, and that made him wonder how he'd ended up with the maniacal magician in the first place when Kaito took so much delight from _embarrassing_ him. Really, the thief had no sense of shame.

"I assume that answered your question?" Kaito asked cheerfully.

Toichi dragged his jaw up from the floor and quirked an eyebrow. "Quite adequately, yes. Though it brings up a whole host of _other_ questions."

"Which neither of you are going to talk about here," Shinichi cut in firmly, lifting his head from the table to glare at the pair of them.

He was met by matching expressions of "innocent" surprise.

"Why, Shin-chan, I don't know what you're talking about."

"It seems only natural that Kaito and I have a lot to catch up on with this recent turn of events."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Great, of course you're _both_ impossible."

Kaito laughed but sobered up very quickly. "So…how do we get back? I mean, I don't want to leave right away, but it wouldn't be very fair to leave our counterparts stranded back in our world for too long."

"No, it wouldn't," Shinichi agreed, seizing onto the change in topic. "Especially since you don't live at your mother's anymore and everyone else is going to get confused if they keep acting like they don't know each other. As for getting back, I'm guessing our best bet will be to find the Wishing Star in this world and try to wish ourselves home."

"Hold on a second, if you don't know me in this world, it would be strange if you suddenly started staying here."

"Who said I was staying here?"

"But _I'm_ staying here, so of course you're staying too. We can share my room, and you can be a really good friend visiting from Beika. Kaa-san won't mind. She's used to Tou-san and me being a bit spontaneous that way."

"…You realize people will probably recognize me."

"I'm _so_ glad you brought that up!"

Toichi moved to the counter to retrieve a cup of coffee he'd made earlier, watching the pair with growing amusement. It was obvious from the way they interacted that they knew one another very well and cared deeply for one another. And really, as a father, what else could he ask for? Especially with what he now knew about them both.

He wondered briefly how his other son was doing. The world this Kaito had come from seemed rather more hostile than his. But he dismissed that concern almost as quickly. He was sure both his sons were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves even in tight situations. They practically defined the art. It would be an adventure. From what he'd seen, he was far more concerned about this one.

As Kaito grabbed Shinichi's hand and started to haul him towards the stairs, Toichi cleared his throat. "Kaito, you and I were supposed to rehearse today for a joint performance scheduled for a few days from now. We can cancel or move it of course, but if you want to give it a try…?"

Kaito paused halfway up the steps and turned to flash a brilliant smile. "I'd love to."

At a certain quality in his voice, Shinichi stopped protesting and gave Kaito a curious look. When they finally got to his room, the magician shut the door and pulled him into a tight embrace, equal parts excitement and fear.

"Shin-chan, I'm not dreaming, am I? This is all really happening? Tou-san really is downstairs and I'm really going to get a chance to perform with him?"

Just one chance, he didn't need more than that—one chance was more than he'd ever allowed himself to dream of.

"If you were dreaming, nothing I said would be of much use," Shinichi pointed out. "But does it really matter? Whether or not we're dreaming, you're here right now."

Kaito took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You're right. We're here now and I'm going to make the most of it. Come on, let's see who we can make you for the next couple days."

"A guy please."

"Aww, you just like to ruin my fun."

"Kaito, you do realize that it would be socially inappropriate for a "female" friend to stay in your room overnight."

"Hmm, fine, that's a good point. And we'd have to go shopping to pull it off anyway."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Shinichi sat down on Kaito's bed to watch him explore the room, hunting for usable supplies. This was going to be one hell of a surprise vacation.

.

"So when did I start performing on stage in this world anyway?"

"Right when you started college, so not quite three years ago. There wasn't really any reason to wait. And you?"

Kaito looked a bit wistful. "I only just started. Before…well, it wasn't safe enough. But the nighttime stage has its perks too."

"It _is_ a very different experience."

"And a very different audience."

"Definitely."

"So what kind of performance were you guys planning?"

Shinichi had the distinct feeling that what the two magicians really wanted to talk about was KID, but neither of their instincts would permit it at this particular time and place. And anyways, Kaito needed this time to just enjoy this opportunity that luck or fate or whatever it was had given him. So rather than say anything, Shinichi just listened to them talk as they made their way through the busy streets, glancing about with interest.

A world where the Black Organization had never existed, he couldn't help but wonder what that had changed. He could hardly imagine what it might have been like if he had never been Conan. There was a time when he would have given a lot to never have been Conan, but now he wasn't sure if he even wanted to know. He might have lost a lot because of it—a lot of time, certain relationships—but he'd also gained a lot of things that he wouldn't want to give up for anything, built new relationships and learned a lot of things he would never have known.

Hopefully, a few days of seemingly inexplicable absence wouldn't get his counterpart into too much trouble.

"The glasses do make him look quite different. But I think you could have done even more with the hair."

Shinichi paused in the midst of adjusting his fake glasses. Both magicians were now casting speculative looks his way.

"You have _no_ idea how hard it is to make that bit in the back stay down. And he didn't want to wear a wig or let me dye it. I suppose if anyone remarks that he looks a lot like Kudou Shinichi, he could just say that he gets that a lot and that they're, of course, in no way related."

"What about adding some highlights? They'd wash out easily enough later."

"Maybe, or I could trim it just a bit but I kind of like it when it gets a bit long."

"I'm standing right here you know," Shinichi interrupted them, turning a bit pink at that last comment.

"Of course, Shin-chan! We didn't mean to exclude you." Wrapping an arm around the detective's shoulders, Kaito pulled him close and held a rose out in front of him. "Allow me to apologize."

"Kaito, put that away," Shinichi hissed, struggling unsuccessfully to free himself and looking hastily around to see if anyone was watching them. "I thought we were trying not to stand out."

"Standing out is how I blend in," Kaito said airily, shifting his grip to make sure Shinichi couldn't get away. "You should see all the looks I used to get at school when I was quiet. Besides, I do these kinds of things all the time."

"Yes, all the time _with women._ As far as I'm aware, other than me, you never give guys flowers, and you're not supposed to have a boyfriend in this world."

Glancing at his father who confirmed this assumption with a nod, Kaito pouted and made the flower disappear. Over the course of their relationship, Shinichi had developed an annoyingly _reasonable_ way of talking him out of things. It had been more amusing back when they were still getting to know each other when he shouted, complained, whined, and got all flustered.

Oh well, he'd just have to try harder in the future.

…And make sure to extract a reward for behaving later. A good thief should never pass up an opportunity to turn something to his advantage.

He wondered briefly whether his counterpart had a _girlfriend_ then dismissed the thought. It didn't really matter and it seemed inappropriate to ask somehow. If he'd never been KID, he supposed he would likely have ended up with Aoko or someone, and Shinichi would probably still be with Ran. And really, Kaito didn't want to think about that either. The thought of _his_ detective with anybody else was upsetting, and he saw no point in unnecessarily upsetting himself.

When they arrived, the performance hall stage was a mess of miscellaneous objects and equipment. Shinichi recognized some of it from Kaito's workshop at home, but what a lot of it was actually used for he had no idea. At any rate, Kaito seemed excited, vaulting easily up onto the dais without bothering with the steps. "Awesome! So _this_ is what you guys were thinking about."

"We also wanted to use the doves, but I'm not sure if his will work well for you. So perhaps we'll stick with using just mine."

"It's too bad none of mine came with me. I have some really wonderful birds."

"Kaito," Shinichi interrupted, "I saw a bookstore on our way here. I'm going to go buy a book to read, okay?"

"Not another copy of Sherlock Holmes," Kaito groaned, though he was smiling.

"Hey, it's not like you have to read it."

"I know, I was just making a point. Sure, go get a book. Who knows? Maybe this world will have some that we don't."

As Shinichi made his way out of the performance hall, he could hear Toichi's wryly amused murmur.

"So, now that your dear detective isn't here to object, how in the world _did_ the two of you end up together?"

"Well," Kaito drawled, and he could just hear the smirk in his voice, "it all began with this idea I had after we brought down the Black Organization together. His life had changed so much after being Conan and mine was really only just starting, not having to worry about people trying to kill me and all, so I decided we should celebrate by trying something new and took him out on a date."

Shinichi shut the door behind him quickly, cutting off the rest of Kaito's lengthy recounting of that first outing, the memory of which still made him cringe in mortification.

Yup, like father like son—incurably, incredibly nosy.

.

It was one of the best afternoons of Kaito's life. He'd always dreamed of being able to actually work with his father on stage, a dream he'd seen go up in flames long before he'd had the skills to even attempt it. But beyond that, Toichi was also one of only two people in the world who really understood him.

Still… Something was missing. The other one of those two people still hadn't come back from the store and Kaito couldn't help but glance at the door every couple minutes.

A world where he had never met Shinichi, he'd never really entertained the idea before. He'd thought often enough of how things might have been if his father had never been killed, but it had never occurred to him that he might have ended up losing someone else so important to him for that wish to come true. It was definitely food for thought.

When his cell phone suddenly sounded, he answered it before the first ring had ended. "Hello?"

"Kaito, quick! I need you to come be my voice for a moment. They're going to let the killer get away!"

Not the most reassuring exclamation, but it brought a half relieved and half amused grin to the younger thief's face anyway. After all, this was Shinichi they were talking about. This sort of thing was…well, maybe not _normal_, but definitely expected. "Okay, okay, just give me a minute. Where are you?"

"I'm at the bookstore on the corner—the coffee shop inside."

"Try to stall them for awhile." Pulling the phone away from his ear, Kaito looked at his father. "Hey, do you know if Hakuba is still a detective in this world?"

"Hakuba Saguru? Yes, he is, though I believe he's currently back in England."

"Perfect."

"Do this often, do you?"

"Mm, a couple times when Shin-chan was still Conan after we'd started working together. I've been all kinds of detectives, though Hakuba's by far my favorite. He always gets so angry when he finds out."

Fifteen minutes later, Hakuba arrived at the bookstore in question, sweeping in with his usual nonchalant arrogance. Shinichi spotted him coming, blinked, then shrugged and began hurriedly to fill him in even before he'd entered hearing distance, knowing the magician could just read his lips. Putting together exactly what Shinichi wanted him to say, Kaito slipped through the crowd towards the police and cleared his throat.

Sometimes, you had to be reminded of the really special things in life to appreciate that you didn't need all your dreams to come true to be happy.

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**TBC… **

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**AN:** So, it looks like this story is probably going to be four chapters at most. I didn't actually originally intend to write on the alternate universe's Kaito and Shinichi, but I might include another section or so in the next chapter (the bit at the end of the first chapter was just a scene that popped into my head while I was writing, and I thought it was too funny not to include ^_^).

In any case, thank you for reading and please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

**Summary:** After failing yet again to find Pandora, Kaito makes a wish to know what life might have been like if his father had never been killed looking for the damned thing. (Sometimes, wishes do come true after all). They say that every time an event occurs that could change the course of the future, another world is created.

**Pairings:** Kaito x Shinichi (already established)

**AN:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed. It's nice to know that people noticed the more serious elements. I often wonder if they come across right, as people usually just comment on the funny bits.

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**To Wish Upon a Star**

**By V. Shalyr**

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Chapter 3

When time for the performance finally arrived, everything went off just as planned. At least from the perspective of the magicians. Even though Shinichi had refused to assist in the show in any way, he had still somehow found himself "magicked" on stage as part of one of the acts. He probably should have expected it, but as it were, his surprised and flustered "Kaito!" had had everyone laughing. Still, at least Kaito hadn't insisted that he stay on stage, and a minute on stage was far from the most embarrassing situation he'd ever been in.

The woman in the seat next to his had even been kind enough to help handle his video camera while he was "away".

Kaito had been surprised but delighted when Shinichi had shown him the recording later that night.

"But do you think we can take it with us when we go?"

"I don't know, but that doesn't stop us from trying, right?"

"Wow, Shin-chan, that sounded a lot like me."

"Oh, the horror."

"Aww, no need to be like that. Hmm, that makes me wonder what it would have been like if we hadn't switched places with our dear counterparts and just ended up here with them. Now wouldn't _that_ have been an experience."

"I don't think _any_ world deserves having to deal with more than one of you."

Yet even with all the effort and excitement, all three of them were up bright and early the day after, if not all voluntarily. Shinichi was inclined to grumble the entire way to wherever it was they were going, and it wasn't until he saw the museum loom up before them that he snapped fully awake. Glancing up at the name, he confirmed that it was, indeed, an art museum with more than a few jewelry exhibits currently in residence.

So he, a detective, was going to visit a museum with Kaitou KID numbers one and two. There was just something inherently skewed about all this, but he'd grown more or less used to that where Kaito was concerned.

At least you couldn't complain that it was boring. Amongst the three of them, and especially Toichi, their extensive and diverse knowledge of artwork and history provided quite the tour. So much so that some of the museum's own tour guides had not-so-discreetly maneuvered their groups so that they too could hear their discussions. Needless to say, by the time they had made one round of the place, they had found themselves in quite the crowd.

"Where's Kaito?" Shinichi asked suddenly. As the people gathered around them finally dispersed, the magician was nowhere to be seen.

"Just taking a—closer look around," Toichi explained with a wink. "No need for both of us to do that. And besides, I was rather hoping for a chance to speak with you."

"Me?"

"I have a feeling that this…" Toichi trailed off then shook his head. "Well, I suppose that's not important right now." He regarded the detective sidelong for a few moments before remarking, "You seem rather different from the Kudou Shinichi that I know."

"You've met?"

"Mm, once or twice when our…ah, fields of expertise happen to overlap. But you seem," he paused as though searching for the right words, "quieter, more cautious perhaps."

"And Kaito?"

"More reserved, more calculating in some ways, definitely harder to read." He sighed, "The point is that it's obvious the two of you have been through a great deal together. I probably don't even need to ask this—but then, I am still his father, sort of—close enough."

Shinichi raised an eyebrow, amused. "I think I know what you want to say, but I can't be sure if you don't say it."

Toichi smiled wryly. "I can't believe I'm asking this of a detective, but will you please look after my son?"

"You didn't have to ask. We've been looking out for one another for a very long time. I doubt we'd be able to stop even if we wanted to."

"I'm glad that my son was able to find someone who cares so deeply for him and that he can care for in return."

Shinichi looked away, slightly embarrassed at hearing thoughts he'd had often enough himself actually spoken aloud by someone else. "…Yeah, me too."

.

Whether or not Kaito's mother was aware of her husband's nighttime escapades—and Shinichi found it very hard to believe that she could _not_ be aware—it had taken the women very little time to notice how little she saw of her husband, her son, and her guest. And she set out to rectify this with great vigor by organizing dinner at a nearby restaurant where none of them could escape to other tasks or places. On the one hand, eating out—or at home for that matter—with the two magicians was never dull. And on the other… Well, one could only take so much activity while one was trying to eat.

The moment they sat down at the table, the war began. And it began with their menus.

Shinichi opened his menu, stared at the blank pages, shut it with a resigned sigh, counted to three then opened it again to find the words back in their proper places. All the same, he flipped to the beginning just to make sure that it was the menu for the right restaurant. At least the woman who brought their drinks and appetizers seemed familiar with the family and only giggled when Toichi flicked his wrist and offered her the pen that had gone missing from her own pocket moments before.

Ignoring how the water in her cup kept changing colors, Mrs. Kuroba took a sip from her glass and smiled at Shinichi. "So where did you meet Kaito again? You two seem to be such good friends, but he's never mentioned you before."

Shinichi took a gulp of his own drink to give himself time to recollect the story he and Kaito had decided upon. "We met after one of his shows actually, just a few months ago. I was there with a friend of mine. He helped us out with the crowds and we discovered we had quite a lot in common."

"The audience does tend to get quite chaotic after his shows," she agreed with a trace of disapproval. "He really shouldn't encourage them the way he does,"—this said as Kaito and his father simultaneously produced flowers for their flustered waitress.

"I know what you mean," Shinichi said dryly. He knew Kaito didn't mean anything by his flirtatious behavior around women, but it didn't stop him from feeling slightly annoyed now and then. He was _not_ jealous—of course not. Perhaps if he told himself that enough times, it would become true.

"Do you usually go watch his performances?"

Mrs. Kuroba shrugged, waving one hand to indicate both her son and husband. "A few, but not as much these days. I get too much of it at home already." Then she smiled, her eyes going momentarily distant, "I always go to the Christmas ones though."

"Is something special about Christmas?"

"You could say it brings back memories. You see, his father here proposed to me on Christmas and he made it into quite the dramatic show. It was very romantic."

Shinichi blushed and quickly took a bite of whatever was on his plate—he'd lost track of what Kaito had swapped it to. He couldn't help but remember how he'd spent his own Christmas last year. Kaito was terribly, embarrassingly good at "romantic" too, something Kaito's mother probably wasn't supposed to know he knew.

He was extremely relieved when she changed the topic.

Determinedly ignoring the salt and pepper jars which were now dancing across the table to Toichi's beckoning fingers, she asked, "So what is it you do? I take it you're not a magician."

"No," Shinichi agreed, snagging the salt shaker before it could get too far away from him so he could add some flavor to his dish. "I guess you could say I like to solve mysteries."

The magic war continued on halfway into the meal until _both_ their partners finally got fed up with it and Kaito's mother grabbed her husband by the ear to scold him in an angry whisper while Shinichi kicked Kaito in the shin under the table. Kaito had too good a Poker Face to wince, but shot his partner an utterly aggrieved look for putting an end to his chosen form of entertainment.

At least after that, the four of them were able to finish the meal in relative peace. Best to enjoy it while it lasted.

.

_Back in their world… _

"If this is supposed to be a joke, it's not funny."

"Well, if it _is_ a joke, it's being played on the both of us, so I'd appreciate it if you would stop glaring at me," Kaito snapped, glaring back.

For a moment, the detective's glower wavered and the magician caught a glimpse of desperate confusion that went some ways in easing his own annoyance. It wasn't as though Kaito had any more experience than this other young man at waking up in strange houses with strange people with pictures of the two of them nonetheless everywhere to be found. But he certainly seemed better prepared to deal with it. He and his father's occasional prank wars had landed him in stranger situations than this.

"But I don't understand," the other boy—what had he said his name was? Kudou Shinichi?—muttered, more to himself than Kaito. "I'm sure this is my house, but it can't be. It just _can't_."

Really, Kaito couldn't blame him for being a bit traumatized—well, maybe more than a _bit_. It was probably the fault of the picture album they'd found on the bookshelf sandwiched between the entire Sherlock Holmes series and the complete collection of stories on Arsene Lupin, the one that had begun with a picture of what looked incredibly if impossibly like the two of them on a veranda woven with Christmas lights kissing. He wasn't sure what had horrified the poor boy more, the idea of himself lip-locked with a complete stranger who happened to be another man or the fact that someone else had been there to take the picture in the first place.

As for Kaito himself, well, he liked to believe that he wasn't that narrow-minded. Love, after all, was love. He didn't see how love could be considered the amazing kind of emotion it was if there had to be rules about what kinds of bodies could or could not be involved. And even if he'd never considered himself being romantically interested in another guy, the picture was more of a curiosity than a fright.

Actually, now that he had time to stop and think about it, this entire situation was really quite amusing.

"You know what?" he said, finally taking pity on the poor detective. "Why don't we give this little exploration a rest and go see what our dear kidnappers have in the kitchen? I'm starving, and there's nothing like a full stomach for making things make sense again."

Kudou didn't answer, just continued to stare blankly ahead of him as Kaito pulled him away from the photo album and began steering him towards the stairs and the kitchen they'd found earlier. Yup, definitely traumatized.

* * *

**TBC… **

* * *

**AN:** I was halfway through this chapter when I realized that I have _no _idea what Kaito's mother's name is. I've seen a lot of variations. I don't suppose anyone knows?

Anyways, thank you for reading and please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

**Summary:** After failing yet again to find Pandora, Kaito makes a wish to know what life might have been like if his father had never been killed looking for the damned thing. (Sometimes, wishes do come true after all). They say that every time an event occurs that could change the course of the future, another world is created.

**Pairings:** Kaito x Shinichi (already established)

* * *

**To Wish Upon a Star**

**By V. Shalyr**

* * *

Chapter 4

Shinichi lowered the newspaper and raised his eyebrows at the two people seated across from him at the kitchen table. Both people merely continued to eat as though they hadn't noticed.

"You know, if you're not careful, you're going to give Nakamouri a heart attack."

Identical expressions of shock met his pronouncement.

"Why, Shin-chan, we'd never do such a thing!"

"He _is_, after all, quite an old friend."

Why did he even bother? Shinichi shook his head and picked up the papers again to reread the heist notice, wondering idly which one of the two had written it. Or maybe they'd worked on it together, seeing as it looked as though they both intended on putting in an appearance—probably at the same time just to give their poor taskforce the scare of its life. With friends like these, who needed enemies?

Sure enough, even mixed in with the crowd that night, Shinichi could hear the inspector's bellows of frustration and rage from inside the museum accompanied by shouts of shock. He would have liked to see what was actually happening inside, but he hadn't been able to think of a good way to convince them to let him in. Besides, he was pretty sure Kaito was recording it all on camera. He'd helped him prepare the tiny devices the night before.

At least Kaito would have fun. Shinichi had located a jewel that looked exactly like the Wishing Star, a diamond called the Essence of Dreams, but he hadn't wanted to tell him about it until after the heist was over.

Turning away from the ruckus within the building, the detective made his way towards a building farther down the street where he was pretty sure both KIDs would end up.

He had a feeling this was going to be an important night.

Because whether or not they wanted to, they both sensed that their time here was coming to an end. For the past two days, whenever they slept, they found themselves dreaming of home. And there were times when Shinichi was almost sure he'd step through the door of that room to find himself back in the Kudou manor amidst the evidence of years of shared memories.

It had been a nice sort of vacation, the kind that was necessary for people to keep on moving forward. But all things had to come to an end. He just hoped Kaito found what he was looking for before then.

.

Toichi arrived on the rooftop as silently as the phantom his current persona was known as to find his son examining the jewel they'd taken under the moonlight. Sighing, the younger magician turned and tossed the diamond to him with a shake of his head.

"Old habits die hard, I guess, even when I know it's not the right stone."

Toichi caught the stone with ease and tucked it away. He'd give it back to the museum in a day or two. "I was quite impressed with how you did tonight. You were very quick on your feet and you never let your guard down."

"Why, thank you. I had a lot of practice. Still do." Kaito paused then took a deep breath, "So the me here doesn't know about you being Kaitou KID."

"No," Toichi agreed, his expression serious. "Though I think he might suspect. Still, there was never a reason to tell him. This Black Organization that you mentioned doesn't seem to exist in this world, but there have still been a few attempts on my life. I never wanted to involve you or your mother in any of it, not once I realized that I wasn't the only one with an interest in magic stones."

"Jii-chan told me as much after I discovered your secret room. He put on the costume for awhile too, you know? To try and do what I eventually tried to do." Kaito closed his eyes, tugging his hat brim lower over his eyes. "I've always wanted to ask you why you started to look for Pandora in the first place. Not why you continued to look for it after you found out the Organization would kill for it, but why you started."

Toichi was quiet for a long time, lost in thought. "I can't say for sure, but if the me in your world is anything like me, then I'd probably say it was because of magic."

"Magic?"

The magician spread his arms to indicate everything around them and gave his son a wistful smile. "We're magicians, Kaito. We use clever tricks to deceive our audiences, to help people experience the wonder of the impossible. But I've always wanted to believe that there's real magic out there too, the kind of magic that performs real miracles and fills people with that great sense of mystery and wonder. To be able to touch that kind of mystery for even a moment before you had to give it back—would that not be an amazing thing?"

"What if it isn't real? What if Pandora doesn't actually exist?"

"What if it does?"

Kaito stayed silent for a long time, staring out across the sea of city lights. It was such a simple and yet complicated reason, and perhaps some people wouldn't have understood it—wouldn't have found it enough. But Kaito was a magician—more than that, he was _KID_. And he did understand. And it was enough that he could be sure that his father would not have regretted his decision, that it hadn't just been about justice or what was right.

That it had been about dreams too.

The corners of his eyes stung and he blinked rapidly, raising a hand and blinking in surprise at the tears. How many years had it been since he'd cried? Funny, his memory was phenomenal but he couldn't remember.

"I'm sorry, Kaito."

Kaito shook his head, turning to face his father who had placed a hand on his shoulder. "Why? Being KID's been tough at times, but I also have a lot of fun. It's taught me more about living than I ever could have learned on my own. And it helped me meet the love of my life. I'd say that's a fair trade for a little anguish."

Toichi stared into his face for several moments, but in the end he simply nodded and smiled, reaching up to tilt his top hat jauntily to one side. "We do have a lot of fun, don't we?"

Kaito smiled a genuine if slightly wistful smile. "I guess we—I—have to go then. He hasn't said anything, but I'll bet Tantei-kun's already found what we need."

Toichi nodded, mirroring the expression on his face. "Take care of yourself. And you should know that whether or not I'm there with you, you'll always be my son and I'll always be proud of you."

Because even though most things had to come to an end, some things were too strong for even distance or time or reason to ever take away.

.

"Shin-chan."

Shinichi started as arms slid around him from behind and Kaito dropped his chin onto his shoulder. "So you're finally done talking."

The magician hummed in agreement. "I thought you said you were going to come by the heist. I was expecting you to meet us afterwards."

The detective hesitated then shrugged his unoccupied shoulder. "I was going to, but when I got there… I figured it would be better to give you and your father some time to sort things out yourselves."

Kaito smiled and turned his head so he could press a kiss along the line of his jaw. "You're the best, you know that?"

Shinichi blushed and mumbled something incoherent before holding up a piece of paper for his partner to see. Kaito blinked and freed one hand to take it, glancing quickly over its contents.

"I'm pretty sure it's the same stone," Shinichi said quietly. "I checked its origins and they match up. Just somewhere along the way, it acquired a different name."

Kaito nodded slowly, straightening. "Looks like it'll be on display tomorrow night not that far from Ekoda."

Finally turning to look at him, Shinichi tried to decide what emotions it was he saw just below the surface of his eyes. "Are you okay with that?"

Catching his anxiety, Kaito grinned and tugged him forward into a hug. "I can't say I'm not going to miss some things, but you know? I'm not going to regret it. I just wouldn't be me if I let the magic go."

Shinichi wasn't sure he understood what that meant, but it didn't matter. It looked like Kaito was going to be okay.

.

In the end, they agreed that a KID heist would draw too much attention and saddle Toichi with too much unnecessary trouble should the gemstone not remain behind when they crossed worlds again. And really, without the magic tricks and the provoked police to complicate matters, chances were, Kaito hardly even had to try to sneak them both inside and liberate the jewel in question from its transparent display case.

"Do we even know how it works?" Shinichi whispered, staring down at the diamond gleaming on Kaito's white-gloved palm between them, its depths illuminated by the faint moonlight streaming through the museum's high windows.

"As you said, we won't know until we try. It was a wish that brought us here, right? So chances are that a wish will bring us back."

Shinichi hesitated then nodded. Two pairs of eyes stared intently down at the jewel for a moment then shut as they each tried to focus as hard as they could on the desire to return home.

Several long seconds dragged by in utter silence while nothing happened. Then, like light bubbling up from the bottom of a glass, a silver glow spread through the diamond and began to flow out around them, painting every detail in the exhibit gallery with stark shadows. Then everything faded into white.

When Kaito opened his eyes once more, it was to find himself standing in the middle of the first floor living room in the Kudou manor. The room around him was a mess of magic props.

From across the room beside a pile of picture frames that had been turned upside-down, Shinichi groaned and sat up, rubbing at his temples. That had been the strangest feeling—like being pulled through thick clouds that temporarily stole away all your senses and made you wonder if you were still breathing. Blinking away the traces of white that clung to the edges of his vision, he frowned at the mess in their living room then at the feather duster he was holding like a sword in his right hand.

"What the?"

"So," Kaito asked, fiercely amused as he picked his way through the debris to offer Shinichi a hand and help him to his feet, "what do you think the other me and you were up to?"

* * *

**END **

* * *

**AN**: Well, that's it for this story. I'm afraid it's on the short side for me, but then again, it was just an idea I had while working on a different parallel world story I'm working on that will be much darker, much longer, and take a lot more time to write (so it probably won't see the light of day for a long, long time).

Someone suggested writing a separate story for the alternate world Kaito and Shinichi from this fic. I think that could be interesting, though I'll have to see if I can think of anything good (suggestions welcome).

Aside from that, I hope you enjoyed the story! Thank you for reading and please review.


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